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Studies of the indoor air quality of restaurants have rarely focused on ventilation system performance in relation to air pollutants and climatic factors. This study was conducted in eight restaurants to examine this issue by determining the ventilation flow rates and the levels of carbon dioxide (CO[sub 2]), ambient temperature, and relative humidity during at least one complete shift of serving a meal. The mean values of number of dining patrons, ventilation flow rates, and the levels of CO[sub 2], ambient temperature, and relative humidity were not significantly different in the nonsmoking dining rooms and the smoking dining rooms. The mean ventilation flow rates in individual restaurants ranged from 42-113 cubic feet per minute per person (cfm/person), overall exceeding the recommended lower limit of 30 cfm/person. The mean levels of CO[sub 2] in two restaurants (646 and 819 ppm) were below, and in the other six restaurants (ranging 1012-1820 ppm) were above the recommended upper limit of 1000 ppm. The levels of CO[sub 2] in each restaurant significantly correlated with the number of dining patrons and in four restaurants accumulated gradually over time. In the nonsmoking dining rooms, the levels of CO[sub 2] increased significantly as the ventilation flow rates decreased. The mean ambient temperature in restaurants (ranging from 22°C-24°C) were within the recommended range of 20°C-26°C. The mean relative humidity in six restaurants (ranging from 46%-59%) were within the recommended upper limit of 60 percent, and in two restaurants (62% and 71%) were slightly higher than this recommended limit. It was concluded that although the mean ventilation flow rates in all restaurants exceeded the recommended value, the design of the ventilation system or the distribution of air flow rate in some sections of restaurants were not appropriate to keep the levels of CO[sub 2] and relative humidity at some measurement locations below the recommended limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]